Arlene Gillo & Bruce Wayne and Jean Grey

Who is in the photo at right?

That’s me, Arlene Gillo. I’m an acupuncturist for people and animals. But I’m also a writer of my Bruce Wayne books. The sweet boy with me is Bruce Wayne, age 9. He is an American Staffordshire or pit bull, and the main character of my book.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

I’m here because I enjoy a good cup of coffee after taking these guys on a morning hike. We usually do at least 3 miles and then I get to relax with my coffee while Bruce Wayne and Jean Grey chill out with the treats and water that I bring for them.

What's brewing?

I’m having a cappuccino. I love a good cappuccino on special occasions, and today is a special occasion.

Any treats for you or your dogs on this occasion?

The dogs will be having their beef jerky. My treat is the cappuccino...yum!

How were you and Bruce Wayne and Jean Grey united?

I adopted Bruce Wayne from the Linda Blair Worldheart Foundation. I just fell in love with his adoption picture when I saw it on Petfinder. I adopted Jean Grey from the cattle dog rescue site. I wanted Bruce Wayne to have a sister so that the wouldn’t be alone when I went to work.

How did your dogs get their names? Any aliases?

When I adopted Bruce Wayne, he was just called Bruce. I told my boyfriend that his name was too ordinary. So, we thought of all the interesting people/characters named Bruce and we came up with Bruce Wayne. When I found out that Jean Grey was a red Merle, my boyfriend and I thought of a superhero who was a red head, thus Jean Grey from the X-Men. My last three dogs were also named after a superhero.

Please tell us about your book, Bruce Wayne Is Insane: Meeting Ninja Kitty.

It’s about Bruce Wayne, a young pit bull who is newly adopted and therefore, new to the neighborhood. He meets a cat in his backyard. They decide to be friends, and the cat ends up teaching him martial arts. It’s about acceptance, friendship and having fun while learning something new.

What is each dog's best quality?

Bruce Wayne is so patient and tolerant. He will let me do anything to him, i.e. brush his teeth, clean his ears, etc. Jean Grey won’t allow me to do those things to her. However, Jean Grey obeys the commands I give her. If I tell her to go outside, she’ll run out. If I tell her to wait, she will. Bruce Wayne won’t do that. He’ll look at me as if to say, “I’ll think about it.”

Tennis ball, stick, squeaky-toy...?

Bruce Wayne isn’t into toys. Jean Grey loves squeaky toys and tennis balls. She can play fetch for a long time.

Postman, cat, squirrel...?

Bruce Wayne is a natural predator. He likes to chase the squirrels and birds. Of course, both he and Jean Grey bark at the postman, UPS guy and any person near the front gate.

If Bruce Wayne and Jean Grey could change one thing about you, what would it be?

They would want me to relax. They know I work a lot. And, possibly, Bruce Wayne would want me to vacuum only once a day.

If your dogs could answer only one question in English, what would you ask them?

I would ask Jean Grey if shares the food she finds on the kitchen counter with Bruce Wayne when I accidentally forget to put food away when I go to work. She jumps on the kitchen counter and sink when I leave for work to look for food. I’ve seen her do it.

Then I would ask Bruce Wayne to confirm her answer.

If Hollywood made a movie about your life in which your dogs could speak, who should voice them?

Seth Rogen would do Bruce Wayne, and Anne Hathaway would do Jean Grey.

What advice would your dogs give if asked?

They would say, “Have fun...stick your head out of the car window some time and feel how good it is.”

Visit Arlene Gillo's website.

--Marshal Zeringue